From Steve Oko, Umuahia
Former Abia North Senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, has said that the outcome of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State where the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, emerged victorious, has proved that Nigerians value leaders with integrity and devoid of encumbrances over anointed stooges whose primary goal in power is to pursue the interest of their god -fathers.
Ohuabunwa who represented Abia North in the 8th senate also said that the resounding victory of Obaseki at the poll who recorded over 80,000 votes above his closest rival, was a confirmation that the era of imposition and godfatherism in politics was gone.
The former Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, who stated this in his congratulatory message to Gov. Obaseki, said Edo voters had demonstrated that they preferred good name and integrity to anointed puppet.
According to him, a resonating take -home message from the entire exercise is that the Nigerian electorate are wiser now and ready to stake anything to ensure the will of the people are not subverted or their future mortgaged for temporary gains.
He said that what transpired in Edo at the governorship election also showed that “glorious future awaits the PDP” ahead of the 2023 general polls.
Ascribing the glory to God, Ohuabunwa predicted the return of PDP as the ruling national party come 2023.
Senator Ohuabunwa commended the people of Edo State for their courage to stand with the truth “despite intimidations by those who boasted of, and banked on federal might”.
He also saluted the people’s courage in defending their votes “against wolves”, adding that such rare demonstration of bravery was a clear signal that Nigerians are now ready to take their destinies in their hands irrespective of the cost.
Senator Ohuabunwa also commended the US government, the EU and UK for imposing visa restrictions on persons involved in rigging and undermining the democratic process in the 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa States polls.
He said the timely disciplinary measures meted out to such undemocratic forces largely accounted for the appreciable transparency and peace witnessed during the Edo election.
He, therefore, urged the US and their foreign allies not to relent in any way they could help stabilise democracy in Nigeria which he regretted had been “hijacked and held hostage by a cabal in APC”.
